


Haven

by Tangerine



Series: Testing the Waters [3]
Category: X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Alcohol, Celebrations, Cruise Ships, Established Relationship, Fluff and Smut, Food, M/M, Multiple Orgasms, Porn with Feelings, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:02:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27575570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tangerine/pseuds/Tangerine
Summary: On board a gay cruise ship and vacationing with Iceman and Angel, Rictor and Shatterstar celebrate a milestone and take a well-earned day for themselves, making the most of their precious time together.A sequel to Anchor. A coda to Harbor.
Relationships: Julio Richter/Shatterstar
Series: Testing the Waters [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1997719
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	Haven

**Author's Note:**

> This can probably be read as a standalone, but many of the things referenced here are to events in the stories preceding this one ( _Anchor_ and _Harbor_ ) and not in the comics canon. This series timeline diverges after _New Mutants: Dead Souls_ #6 and _Extermination_ (2018) #1 but before _Shatterstar_ (2018) #1.
> 
> Specifically, this story covers the same time period that Chapter 7 in _Harbor_ does.

###  [Chapter 7b](/works/27575500/chapters/67453265): The Sixth Day 

  


As always, Shatterstar woke up before the alarm. Part of it was that he merely did not like Julio's phone startling him out of sleep, but most of it was that he enjoyed waking Julio up himself. Ideally, he did it by way of slow kisses to whatever part of Julio's body was in closest proximity to his lips at the time.

On this particular morning, it was the nape of Julio's neck. Julio had turned onto his side during the night. Shatterstar had not woken for it, but years of exposure meant his body was entirely trusting of Julio's sleepy movements and followed them. Even if Julio had complained about how Shatterstar clung to him as they slept, he did not know if he could stop. He liked the feeling of Julio in his arms.

He also liked the back of his neck where the skin was soft and warm. The hair that grew over his nape was as soft as down. Julio was particularly sensitive there, so a few well-placed kisses would rouse him into a much better mood than a noisy cell phone ever could. It was a vulnerable place. In his younger years, he never would have considered kissing over decapitation, but he had grown well beyond that. 

He was, after all, a married man. 

With a smile, he pressed his lips to the hollow behind Julio's left ear and then below it where the skin was hot, and then over to the bumps of Julio's spine. Julio shifted against him with a small sigh, and his body came awake, just like that. Shatterstar smoothed a hand of Julio's bare hip, pulling him closer. 

"Mm," Julio murmured, "if you keep that up, we're never gonna make it outside to see the sunrise."

"Would that be so terrible?" Shatterstar asked, nuzzling at the steady throb of his pulse line.

"You've been planning this for weeks. You had it circled on the kitchen calendar. With a heart."

"I'm allowed to change my mind," Shatterstar insisted, dropping his hand to curve over the hardening length of Julio's cock. Of course, he had no intention of missing the sunrise, but they still had time, and he enjoyed teasing Julio. He had always been so responsive to it. "You complained it was too early."

"I always complain. I kinda figured by now you would know it's mostly bullshit."

"I do," Shatterstar informed him. "I have always assumed it was your love language."

Julio snorted. "If I'd realized you were this corny, I wouldn't have married you."

"You are a terrible liar, Julio," Shatterstar said, rolling Julio onto his back so he could kiss him better.

They made out for as long as they dared until they could delay no longer. Ignoring Julio's moan of protest, Shatterstar pulled away from Julio and forced his body to seek out pants, even though it was the last thing he wanted. Eventually, Julio did the same, tugging on a pair of underwear and his jeans. 

When Julio went to tug on a tank top, Shatterstar stopped him. "I have a better idea," he said. 

He pulled their matching _Just Married_ shirts out of his suitcase and offered one to Julio, who took it with a wry twist to his lips. "You hate things that aren't technically true," Julio said, shaking out the folded fabric. Shatterstar waited for him to notice the change, and he was pleased when Julio laughed. 

"I modified them," Shatterstar said smugly.

"Are you just gonna add plus-one for the next fifty years?"

"At the minimum," Shatterstar promised, leaning over to kiss Julio again. He pressed his thumb to the plus-one, which he had added himself using a very small brush and a rainbow of fabric paint. What Julio had dismissed as a sudden love for doing laundry had actually been Shatterstar tricking him.

"I knew you were full of shit," Julio told him between kisses, smiling against his mouth.

Shatterstar, exceptionally pleased with himself, did not reply, allowing Julio to continue believing that.

It _had_ been very hard to lie to Julio. In truth, he had never been particularly good at it. But it had been worth the attempt to see the smile on Julio's face now. Like Julio himself, it was breathtakingly beautiful.

* * *

When they finally made it on deck, it was still dark. The party had wound down, though there were still stragglers, damp with sweat, swaying on their feet. Several people were engaged in amorous embraces. Shatterstar, for his part, had managed to resist pressing himself to Julio's body and resuming his kisses. 

They would never get anywhere if he hadn't learned to control his most basic urges. 

Instead, they walked hand-in-hand to the uppermost deck. As this was technically a different ship – and Shatterstar was forever grateful they had embarked from Florida, not California, though Julio swore he no longer had feelings about the matter – they could not entirely recreate the scene of their proposal. No matter. It was the same sun, and he was with Julio as he had been then. That was all that mattered. 

They walked around looking for a place to sit and found a selection of round chairs, covered by canopies and big enough for multiple people to enjoy together. The first three they checked were occupied. The fourth had been recently vacated, and Julio broke ranks to hurry over and claim it.

Shatterstar had almost joined him when Julio paused mid-step and started trying to shake something off his flip-flop.

"Is there a problem?" Shatterstar asked politely.

"Other than the fact I stepped on someone's used condom?" Julio scrapped his foot over the deck, pawing at it like a horse. He was visibly annoyed, which was a look Shatterstar had always found very attractive on him. "If I'm gonna get some guy's jizz all over my foot, he better buy me dinner first."

"I will keep that in mind," Shatterstar said, climbing onto the plush cushion of the chair.

"Seriously, so gross. Throw that shit out," Julio grumbled as he settled in the vee of Shatterstar's legs.

"Perhaps they were overtaken with passion."

"Maybe," Julio admitted, going loose in Shatterstar's arms. He had left his hair down and untamed, and it tickled Shatterstar's chin, twisted wild with sleep. They had both begun growing their hair out again, in part because they enjoyed how it looked and in part because they had had no time to go to the barber.

It served as a reminder to Shatterstar of how much time had passed and how much things had changed. 

How much _they_ had changed. 

And Shatterstar loved the changes he saw in Julio. Not just his hair but his everything over the last year. He felt like he had also changed for the better. Their love had only grown, and with that love, their friendship, and their relationship, and their lives together. When did it stop? Would it ever stop? 

Julio tipped his head back onto Shatterstar's shoulder. "You okay, corazón?"

"I am just thinking about how much I love you and how my feelings continue to grow." He rested his chin on the top of Julio's head. When he sighed, Julio's hair ruffled in response. "It is overwhelming."

"Yeah, it is," Julio agreed, rubbing a hand over Shatterstar's bent knee, grounding him. He snuggled in closer, letting Shatterstar take all of his weight. "But hey, we're in it together, right? And we made it to a year. Which, like, sure, probably isn't that impressive, but _I_ am fucking impressed."

"I am also impressed," Shatterstar assured him. When Julio lifted his hand for a high-five, Shatterstar returned it despite the awkward angle. "It has been a good year, Julio. Thank you for marrying me." 

"De nada," Julio replied, sounding fond. "There's nobody else I'd rather wade in two inches of shit with." 

"If you are referring to the sewer backing up into the basement…"

"You bet your ass I am. Other high points include that week in January where the fire alarm went off every night at three am for no fucking reason, the mind-boggling amount of money we had to pay to replace the entire HVAC system, and that weirdo from fuck-knows-where who tried to murder us."

"I had no way of knowing he was a being of pure evil," Shatterstar protested faintly. 

"Yeah, I guess we're still learning." Julio looked up to grin at him, and Shatterstar smiled in return, pressing a kiss to his temple. In the distance, the sky was beginning to shift from star-dotted black to a greyer shade. Julio reached up to the arm that Shatterstar had laid over his shoulder and began to play with Shatterstar's wedding ring. "Do you think you're gonna take Warren up on his offer to invest?" 

"It is not a decision I would make alone," Shatterstar replied. "What do you think?"

"I think that guy is filthy fucking rich," Julio replied without hesitation. "And I actually do think it would come with no strings attached, so it would still be ours to, like, oversee and support. And maybe we could hire someone who actually fucking knows what they're doing when it comes to maintenance."

"Yes, those are my thoughts exactly. Our capital is limited whereas his appears infinite."

"Then I'm in if you're in." Julio nudged him with his shoulder. "I've got your back, Star, as always."

"Thank you," Shatterstar replied, folding his hand over Julio's so their rings were touching. 

Julio guided their fingers to his mouth, pressing a gentle kiss to them. Shatterstar felt emotion swell in his chest, as powerful as a storm, and he held his breath for a moment, letting his love for Julio wash over him like a wave. Shatterstar then repeated the action with his own lips and held Julio's hand there. 

"I hope the sun rises soon," Shatterstar murmured, "so I can take you back to the room and fuck you."

"I love it when you talk dirty to me. We can still ditch it, you know."

"I drew a _heart_ , Julio," Shatterstar replied, delighting in the laugh that Julio gave him.

* * *

As they waited for the sun to come up, they cuddled. Had Julio been anyone other than who he was, Shatterstar might have tried to push it further, but he kept the sexual contact to a minimum, although he did brush his hand from time to time over the persistent bulge in Julio's jeans when he was sure no one was looking. Julio did not stop him, and each time, Shatterstar found his cock even harder than before. 

"You are playing with fire," Julio breathed at one point, pressing back against Shatterstar's equally hard penis. He inwardly agreed it would ruin his fun if Julio came prematurely, but he continued on. 

He knew Julio's limits better than he knew his own.

When the sky was finally lit into a vibrant orange along the horizon, Julio let Shatterstar lift him up and carry him back to the room. A younger Julio would never have allowed such an action, but the man he had become was much more confident and less swayed by outside opinions. Julio enjoyed being manhandled, and Shatterstar found deep satisfaction in using his enhanced strength to make him happy. 

Not willing to wait a second longer, Shatterstar took the quickest, most direct path back to their stateroom. He all but kicked open the door when he heard it unlock. Resisting the urge to fuck Julio on the living room floor, Shatterstar immediately headed upstairs for the bed, but Julio stopped him.

"If I don't wash my foot, it's literally all I'm going to be thinking about while we're banging."

"I would rather you think about me," Shatterstar agreed and carried him up to the bathroom instead.

With more patience than he thought he possessed, he knelt down and began to undress Julio, unzipping his jeans and dragging them down his legs. He was overdressed, and, smoothing his hands over Julio's hairy legs, Shatterstar made a comment to that effect. "Why did you put on so many clothes?" he asked. 

"I have been hard enough to pound nails since I woke up," Julio protested, hand braced on Shatterstar's shoulder for balance as he lifting one foot and then the other. Shatterstar pushed the offending jeans away. "I didn't exactly want to walk around with a tent in my shorts, so this was my compromise."

"I suppose that's fair," Shatterstar admitted, cupping Julio's penis through his underwear. Julio made a startled sound, a hum low in his throat, and Shatterstar massaged him, watching his face and enjoying the expressions he made. When he thought he was close, he stopped, and Julio made a sound of protest.

"You're such a cock tease, dude."

"We have all day." Shatterstar peeling the underwear off his hips, carefully edging the elastic waistband over Julio's straining cock and down his bare legs. "I'm determined to take my time with you, Julio."

"Dios," Julio breathed, tipping his head back with a smile. 

Without another word, Shatterstar stood up and began to remove his clothes as Julio sat down to watch him. Unlike Julio, he had only worn a pair of gym shorts and those were easily discarded from his body. Still, unable to resist rousing Julio further, he unhurriedly slid the fabric off his hips, teasing him.

Julio stared at him with hungry eyes, gaze fixed on the root of his penis, anticipation palpable.

He loved when Julio looked at him like that. It always made him want to take off his clothes as slowly as possible, but he was eager to get Julio into bed. With that in mind, he finished undressing and turned his attention to the shower. The sooner Julio's foot was clean, the sooner Shatterstar could do just that. 

The offending foot dangling off the floor, Julio perched on the closed toilet and waited as Shatterstar fiddled with the tap, searching for the perfect temperature. Once he was satisfied, he transferred Julio into it and joined him. With reverent hands, he filled his palm with sweet-smelling body wash and began lathering Julio's naked body, beginning with his shoulders and moving slowly downwards. 

Julio snorted. "You know, it's only my feet that are dirty," he said dryly. 

"Hm," Shatterstar replied, neither confirming nor denying the statement. He had spent so much of his life without ever being touched or touching anyone else that now, when the chance presented itself, he found the urge impossible to resist. And Julio was so responsive to it, so eager to accept his touches. 

With each pass of his hands, Julio shivered. Shatterstar paid particular attention to the soft skin beneath his arms, the crease between his rounded buttocks, and each line of his curled toes. Julio was extremely ticklish when it came to any touch that involved his feet, and his fingers grappled impotently at the tiles while Shatterstar thoroughly washed them, eager to ensure Julio's focus would be entirely on him.

Once every inch of Julio was touched and cleaned, Shatterstar reached up and turned off the water. He returned to Julio's shapely ass and kissed both cheeks. With his hands, he spread them and pressed his tongue to the puckered hole they revealed. Julio moaned appreciatively, the sounds echoing off the shower walls. His back arched as Shatterstar licked at his anus, tonguing him open, getting him ready. 

"Holy shit, will you just fuck me already?" Julio asked, pushing back at him with increasing urgency. 

"Not yet," Shatterstar told him and kissed him there again, where he was so amazingly sensitive. 

"Dude, I have been fucking hard for hours. I'm seriously gonna come. Please, Star, fuck me." Julio punctuated this request with another roll of his hips, his cock heavy and full, visibly wet at the tip. 

It was, in Shatterstar's opinion, a compelling argument. "Very well," he conceded. "After all, you did say please."

Julio gave him a look that was half aggravation and half amusement before breaking into a smile. 

They stumbled over to the bed and collapsed upon the mattress together. Julio's skin was damp and inviting, and Shatterstar pressed kisses all over his throat, and his chest, and his belly. How different it was to make love to Julio now, when he was without shame. In the very early days of their sexual relationship, Julio had been far more reserved, worried about being discovered and fearful of judgment.

No matter how many times Shatterstar had insisted he would know, Julio had never quite believed him.

But now, he was open and relaxed, as willing to receive pleasure as he was to give it. The windows were open, the sun shining in on them. Julio's skin glistened as Shatterstar worked his way down to his cock. He took it into his mouth and sucked him. Julio's legs shifted on the bed, fingers twisting in the sheets, and Shatterstar continued to perform fellatio until Julio moved one hand to his hair and pulled. 

"Mierda, will you just stick it in already? You are driving me crazy."

"You are so impatient, Julio," Shatterstar chided, sliding up his body to kiss him deeply. 

Julio reached over and grabbed the lubricant and a condom. With a well-trained hand, he rolled the sheath down Shatterstar's cock before quickly slicking it up. Their kiss never broke. Julio reached between his own legs and spread the lube there as well, where Shatterstar's mouth had so recently been. 

Unwilling to tease Julio any longer, Shatterstar pushed into him. As always, he was startled by tight heat and the way Julio's breath caught as Shatterstar breached his body, inch by sensuous inch. When he was fully seated, Julio clenched around him. He was clearly enjoying the sensation of being filled. Shatterstar pulled back and began to thrust. They were very well practiced at this performance. 

Julio clutched at him, his nails digging into Shatterstar's back. Their tongues rubbed and danced against each other, their mouths open and frantic. The condom dulled the sensation just enough, giving Shatterstar the time he needed to enjoy the experience. And there was so much to enjoy. The way Julio's hips moved, matching each thrust. The hot throb of Julio's cock between their stomachs, leaking ejaculate over their skin. He knew, if he put a hand on Julio, that Julio would come apart around him.

 _Not yet_ , he thought, fucking into him, _please just a little longer_. 

And Julio, although impatient, seemed just as willing to draw it out, to make it last. Shatterstar smiled against his mouth, and Julio duplicated it, the intensity of his kiss increasing as he moved one hand to Shatterstar's head and buried it in his hair. Shatterstar could spend an eternity in bed with Julio and never want for anything else. What a life they had made together. What a love they had grown together.

It was almost too much to bear. 

"It's okay," Julio said, breaking the kiss. He stroked down the back of Shatterstar's neck. "It's good."

Shatterstar nodded, pressing his face to the curve of Julio's neck, and despite wanting to stretch the moment longer, he came with a wet groan, Julio's fingers smoothing over his skin. _Again_ , he thought helplessly, but he could not be embarrassed. He had had such a delayed start when it came to experiencing emotions, and he was still catching up. Every day, he was still catching up. 

Julio brought himself off with his own hand, the other still curved around the nape of Shatterstar's neck, and he ejaculated all over his skin, marking it with their shared pleasure. Shatterstar, still half-hard inside him and collapsed onto his heaving chest, felt the last of Julio's orgasm echo through his body.

They laid there for a while, Julio's arms around him, holding him close. 

"My husband," Julio whispered in his ear, and Shatterstar exhaled the breath he had been holding.

* * *

After, they slept for another two hours. This time, it was Julio who woke up first. Shatterstar could hear him downstairs on the phone with whom he assumed to be room service, ordering a truly impressive amount of food. Shatterstar pushed off the mattress and stepped onto the floor, narrowly avoiding the condom he had dropped there. He picked it up and threw it out in the bathroom, and then he urinated. 

Julio looked up as Shatterstar descended the staircase. He was sitting naked on the couch, leaning back against the plentiful number of pillows. "I pretty much just ordered garbage for brunch," he said. 

Shatterstar immediately moved towards him, settling between his legs. "I trust your taste," he replied. 

Julio brushed Shatterstar's hair back with his hands, encouraging him to settle more comfortably. He was warm, and he smelled good. Shatterstar closed his eyes, focussing on the feeling of Julio's hands.

"I figured we'd do something fancy for dinner, like last year. Might as well make a tradition of it."

"I enjoy traditions."

"I've noticed," Julio said wryly. When Shatterstar tilted his head back to smile, Julio pressed a kiss to the crown of his head. Shatterstar knew what he was doing, with all the touching, and he was grateful. The emotional component of their relationship had always been satisfying. "Wanna turn on the TV?"

"Julio, it is our anniversary."

"Yeah, and I thought maybe some Netflix and chill was in order."

"The internet connection is poor," Shatterstar pointed out. 

"That's not really what I was getting at," Julio replied, his tone warm. He kissed the top of Shatterstar's head again. "Let's just zone out a bit while we wait for the food to come. And then we can eat and regroup and see what else we might want to do. I'd love to get on my knees and suck your cock."

Opening his eyes, Shatterstar reached for the remote. "I would like that, too. You are very good at it."

"I sure am," Julio replied smugly, a boast that was well-earned. "Pick one channel to watch, Star."

Julio stroked over his skin with gentle fingertips as Shatterstar flipped through the options, eventually settling on the third Die Hard movie. He found explosions soothing, and between them and Julio's expert hands, Shatterstar felt his body shift into relaxation, Julio's heartbeat steady against his back. 

He was in a deep doze when there was a knock on the door. 

"I'll get it," Shatterstar said as Julio jolted awake. Perhaps they should have gone to bed earlier, Shatterstar thought as he rose, but despite their best intentions, they had ended up having sex. Twice. Regretting nothing, he grabbed a towel from the guest bathroom and wrapped it around his waist.

"Mr. Richter?" the attendant said when Shatterstar opened the door.

"That's me," he confirmed, stepping back to allow the man into the room. On the couch, Julio had shuffled to one end and had placed a pillow strategically over his genitals. He still looked incredibly naked, although slightly more polite about it. Shatterstar smiled at him, and Julio smiled back. 

"If you'll sign here," the man said, offering Shatterstar a tablet. He signed it with his full legal name. 

"That never gets old," Julio said once the attendant had left, hanging over the side of the couch. 

"At least you have finally stopped answering to it when it's clear they are speaking to me."

Julio grinned, his dark brown eyes crinkling with merriment. It was rare that he smiled so widely, and Shatterstar always cherished it, whenever it happened. "Yeah, it took some time," Julio agreed gamely. Clearly, he had no intention of helping to bring the food over, so Shatterstar took it upon himself to plate it all. "Doesn't mean I don't feel a little thrill every time I hear it, though. Mr. Shatterstar Richter." 

Shatterstar flushed at the warmth in his voice. "Julio, if you keep looking at me like that, we will never eat." 

Julio grinned again, painfully handsome. "Gotta keep our energy up," he said.

Shatterstar snorted, a bad habit he had picked up from Julio, and brought the food to the coffee table. Julio shuffled over on the couch, creating room for Shatterstar to settle back between his legs. They ate like that, bare thighs touching, as they laughed and talked and stole bites from each other's plates. 

Sometimes, the light would catch Julio's face just so, and Shatterstar would find himself breathless.

* * *

Morning shifted into afternoon. 

They finished the meal, which consisted mainly of waffles piled high with whipped cream and fruit. For protein, Julio had ordered a double serving of sausages, and they devoured those as well. Sated and with Julio's arms around him, they watched the rest of the movie, although they had seen it before. 

As the credits were rolling, Julio's kisses to the back of his neck became more amorous. 

"Still interested in that blowjob?" Julio asked, a hand sweeping down to cup Shatterstar's hardening cock. With a knowing hand, he began to stroke Shatterstar to a full erection as he peppered kisses along Shatterstar's shoulders, teeth scraping over his skin. "Or we could do something else. Take a nap."

"No more naps," Shatterstar replied.

"Good choice," Julio said and climbed around him, settling on his knees between Shatterstar's legs. 

Shatterstar tilted his head back on the couch and combed a hand through Julio's unruly hair, focussing on the feeling of Julio mouthing along the inner parts of his thighs, breath spilling hot over Shatterstar's skin. Shatterstar was fearful Julio would draw it out as he had, tease him too long, but Julio made quick work of taking his cock between his lips. He kept a hand curled around the base of Shatterstar's penis. 

And then he licked him, and sucked him, and pleasured him with his beautiful, sarcastic mouth.

"Fekt, that feels so good, Julio."

Julio pulled off. Shatterstar looked down to see he was smiling. "Just good?"

"Amazing," he clarified quickly. "Incredible. Your mouth has no limit of talent." 

Smile shifting into a grin, Julio licked the tip of Shatterstar's cock, gathering pre-come on his tongue, and returned to the task at hand. Shatterstar submitted to the sensation of Julio's mouth, orgasming more quickly than he expected to. Julio stayed on his knees as he swallowed, gaze fixed on his face.

Julio had the most expressive eyes. He always had, even in the days when he had tried to hide his emotions. Now, Shatterstar looked down at him and was amazed he had ever been unsure of Julio's feelings and that they were so equally returned. Shatterstar touched a hand to Julio's cheek. He smiled.

Julio pushed up to kiss him, arms circling Shatterstar's shoulder, and Shatterstar took Julio onto his lap, taking his cock in hand and beginning to stroke him. Julio's tongue tasted of Shatterstar's ejaculate, and Shatterstar licked into his mouth with a groan. Julio's penis slid hot against Shatterstar's palm, wet at the tip and twitching in his touch, and he made a such sweet sound against Shatterstar's lips as he came.

It took them both several minutes to catch their breathe, and it was Julio who came to his senses first. 

Bending his head to touch their brows together, Julio chuckled. "Okay, so that's two."

Shatterstar stroked over Julio's hips. "I have my heart set on many more. If you think it is possible." 

"Maybe," Julio admitted with a kiss. "I'm definitely up for trying. It helps you're so fucking hot."

"The feeling is mutual," Shatterstar assured him and immediately set to work on attempt number three.

* * *

After making out on the couch and rubbing off on each other, they cleaned up and moved outside, spending the remainder of the afternoon lounging on the deck, naked and enjoying the perfect weather. Shatterstar had dragged his chair over so it rested directly alongside Julio's. As he laid down and sunned, Shatterstar kept one hand on Julio's warm body, stroking idly over his back, legs and buttocks.

"If I discover tomorrow that I have the outline of your hand on my ass, I'm going to be annoyed."

"You're always annoyed," Shatterstar replied. "It is your perpetual state." 

Eyes closed, Julio snorted into his arms, which he was using as pillows. Stretched out as he was, every inch beautifully revealed, Shatterstar found it impossible not to touch him. If Julio truly was annoyed – and Shatterstar would have staked his life on the fact he was not – Julio would have let him know. 

"Besides," Shatterstar added, teasing a finger down Julio's spine, "who will see it?"

"Yeah, I guess we got the nude beach out of the way just in time."

"Mm," Shatterstar agreed, curving a palm over the shapely rise of Julio's buttock and squeezing it.

"If you're gonna keep doing that," Julio murmured, tilting his hips up so Shatterstar had better access to all the hidden delights between his legs, "you better go inside and grab something to fuck me with."

Shatterstar hadn't been touching Julio with the intention of having sex with him, not at that moment anyway, but once Julio had suggested it, that was all he wanted. Quickly, he took the stairs three at a time and grabbed a bottle of lubricant. As he returned, he spread the lube over his already erect cock.

"That was fast," Julio remarked with a grin when Shatterstar stepped back onto the deck. 

Carefully covering Julio's prone body, Shatterstar didn't reply as Julio helpfully spread his legs, tilting his buttocks upwards. Still relaxed and open from their earlier lovemaking, Shatterstar easily penetrated him. As Shatterstar pushed in, Julio groaned contentedly, and pressed back to take him even deeper. 

"Quiet," Shatterstar reminded him, speaking directly into his ear from behind. 

"Make me," Julio replied, his grin lifting his cheek, and Shatterstar began to fuck him in earnest. 

It was a slow fuck, one of Julio's legs lifted up and bent, the other stretched behind him for balance. Shatterstar lay over his back, mindful of his own weight, meagre as it was, and careful not to crush him. Julio's cock was half-hard when Shatterstar slid a hand under his belly to search for it. It was not a sign of anything but the fact that he had already come thrice and his body was more human than not. 

But with each thrust of Shatterstar's hips, with each stroke of his palm, Julio's cock rallied. Shatterstar kissed over the nape of his neck, as drawn to it then as he had been that morning. With each brush of Shatterstar's lips, Julio shivered and moaned, twisting under him, rocking his hips on Shatterstar's cock.

There was no frenetic movement, no race to the end. Just a slow, certain, leisurely fuck. Just love. 

Time bent around them, extending. Shatterstar had no idea how long they kept it up, just that without warning, Julio made a soft little sound in his throat, half surprise, half relief, and came with a gasp. Shatterstar, who had been controlling his body until then, could not resist the pulse of Julio's anus around him and ejaculated into his body, pulse after pulse of semen, with no barriers between them. 

Shatterstar lay there against Julio's heaving back until his penis softened. Only then did he pull out.

" _You_ ," Julio said with a faint air of accusation, unable to keep the happiness from his voice, and Shatterstar pressed up against him again, hiding his smile in the space between Julio's shoulders where he knew he could feel it. Eventually, Julio turned in his arms, and they remained like that together, alternating between kisses and whispers until their stomachs rumbled with hunger.

* * *

They ordered room service again for dinner. It came with a bottle of champagne and a card that said _Happy Anniversary_ in careful penmanship, with no name attached. It was, Julio confirmed by asking the person who delivered it, very expensive. So expensive that Julio almost immediately sent it back.

"I can't drink something that costs that much money," he protested. 

"It is a gift, Julio. He is being kind. You are the one who told me to treat the original X-Men normally."

"Fucking rich people," Julio replied, hovering over the bottle with grave suspicion. 

But Julio did allow him to bring it outside, where they had planned to eat dinner. Julio set the table and laid out the silver-covered plates while Shatterstar worked on opening the bottle, two glasses ready and waiting. With a pop, the cork jumped out, and Shatterstar filled each flute to a respectable amount. 

"Happy anniversary, Julio," Shatterstar said, tipping his glass forward. 

"Happy anniversary, Star," Julio replied, gently clinking them together. 

Julio pulled out Shatterstar's chair then sat down in the one next to it. There was no point in sitting on opposite sides of the table, especially not on their first anniversary. As they ate, their legs tangled under the table, hooked at the ankles. The meal was the same as it had been last year – prime rib with mashed potatoes and asparagus on the side and crème brûlée for dessert – and it was just as good as Shatterstar remembered. Better, even, he thought as he finished his meal, with a year of experience behind him. 

It had been a good year. The best of his life. He hoped Julio shared that feeling. He thought he did.

"What are you smiling about?" Julio asked, leaning over to press a kiss to Shatterstar's shoulder. 

Shatterstar smiled at him fondly and took his hand. His gaze landed on the champagne bottle, half-empty on the table, next to the plates from dinner. Shatterstar felt mildly tipsy, having consumed much more than Julio, and he could tell from the flush of Julio's skin that Julio was also pleasantly inebriated. 

"Us," Shatterstar replied simply. "This past year and all the things we've been through together."

Julio grinned against his skin. "Rictor and Shatterstar against the world, just like always."

"You have not regretted what you gave up?" Shatterstar asked, without censure or judgment. Manor Crossing had been his dream, not Julio's, and he knew sometimes Julio got frustrated with how rough the path had become at times. Even with renovations, something always found an excuse to break. 

"Does it look like I regret anything?"

"I'm not sure," Shatterstar admitted. 

"Did you regret coming to Mexico with me to help fight my family?" 

"Not at all," Shatterstar said without hesitation, confident that Julio already knew the answer, but he got the point he was making. "But you had plans of your own, Julio, that did not include the X-Men, and yet you keep answering their call because we need the extra money. You have neither a flower shop nor a club. I simply do not want you to feel like you had to put your life on hold for my ambitions."

"I don't," Julio assured him, squeezing his fingers. "It's been a blast doing this with you, shit and all."

"I have been promised that will not happen again."

"I'll believe that when I see it," Julio replied with a grin. "I told you then that I was in this with you. I still am. You're my husband, and I love you and the amazing life we've built together. You are the best thing to ever happen to me, and there is not a day goes by that I don't thank god you're mine. Okay?"

"Okay," Shatterstar said, feeling his eyes fill with happy tears. "I just wanted to confirm."

"I know," Julio said and kissed him.

* * *

They ended the day as they had on their wedding day, squeezed into the same chair and watching the sun sink under the horizon. Shatterstar sat on Julio's lap, arms looped around his shoulders, his legs bent over the armrests. As tall as he was, he had no doubt it looked ridiculous, but he did not care. 

He felt safe in Julio's embrace. It had been an emotional day, and he was a little raw from it. 

The plan for the day had always been to spend as much time together as possible, enjoying each other's company. From that point of view, they had certainly succeeded. It was not as if he did not see Julio every day, but he had to admit Manor Crossing had been more work than he anticipated. Sometimes, they were both in bed by nine o'clock, too tired to do anything. This had been a much-needed vacation. 

It was the sixth day with one more full day left. It didn't feel like enough time. It hadn't last year either. 

Shatterstar resolved right then to spend more time with Julio. Taking Angel – Warren – on as an investor would allow him to hire more people to help with the building and any other properties he acquired. He had big dreams, but they had always included Julio. He would find a better balance. 

But that was for another day. Until then, they were celebrating a year of marriage and each other. 

"What do you think those two idiots are up to?" Julio asked suddenly. 

"I thought you had banned us from discussing them today," Shatterstar replied with a faint smile.

Julio ignored him. "They are totally into each other, right? Like, I'm not imagining this?"

"It makes me wonder if our mating ritual was this uncomfortable to witness."

"Okay, firstly," Julio said, "we did not have a mating ritual and if you ever suggest we did again, we're getting a divorce. Secondly, on the off chance we did have one, there is no way we were this bad. It is impossible. This is the worst thing I've ever willingly submitted myself to, and that list is long, dude."

"Maybe they will figure it out," Shatterstar said graciously. Stranger things had happened. His entire relationship with Julio attested to that. When he had befriended Julio, he had had no idea that he would someday end up married to him. He had just known he liked Julio for reasons he could not explain. 

And now he loved him, and Julio was his husband, and that amazed him every single day. 

"I fucking hope so," Julio said. "Everyone deserves a happy ending."

Shatterstar dragged a finger over the line of Julio's shoulders. "Speaking of happy endings..."

"If that's you offering a handjob, be warned I'm still stuffed from dinner, that champagne was worth its fucking outrageous price tag, and I'm running on fumes due to lack of sleep." Even as Julio said it, he was already standing up, lifting Shatterstar in his arms. "But hey, you're welcome to try. Sounds fun."

"I know all your secrets, Julio," Shatterstar murmured in his ear. "I know how to make you come."

"I'm counting on it, corazón," Julio replied, carrying Shatterstar inside and up the stairs. It was not an easy task, but Julio seemed determined to do it, and Shatterstar did enjoy being swept off his feet. He continued detailing his lurid plans for Julio, starting with a handjob and ending with his cock deep in Shatterstar's rectum. Laughing, Julio deposited Shatterstar onto the bed then crawled up to join him. 

"You know, you're the only guy who can say rectum and still make it sound like pure porn," Julio pointed out, resting on his side. He regarded Shatterstar with fondness before leaning over to kiss him. 

"I love you so much," Shatterstar said between kisses. "Always and forever. I love you, Julio."

Eyes crinkling at the corners, Julio smiled at him. "Ditto," he said. 

Shatterstar laughed with all the joy in his heart, impossible to contain, and it was multitude.

**Author's Note:**

> I can also be found on [Tumblr](https://atangeriner.tumblr.com/) and on Discord as Tangerine#1082.


End file.
